With the digital Pact, Germany’s schools are to break into the digital future. However, the five billion Euro from the Federal government can only be a beginning, says the NRW-Minister of education, Yvonne Gebauer (FDP) Interview in the DW.
DW: Minister, in the Federal Council is changed to this Friday, the basic law, so that the digital Pact can enter into force. Are you satisfied? You can expect a billion Euro from the Federal government for schools in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Yvonne Gebauer: With the amount of a billion, I’m already very satisfied. I am glad that it all worked out in the end of the day, then so quickly. It was the beginning of very, very many delays that we have all expected. Actually, it would be Yes on 6. December need to be in dry cloths.
Some of the Prime Minister, including their coalition partner, Armin Laschet (CDU), have caused months of delays. That was unnecessary, it was annoying?
Annoying that was, because we have negotiated over weeks and months. And then, when everything was so far, then one or the other, among other things, Mr Kretschmann came in and said “so”. But I’m even more glad that we are now come to this step, but more in the framework of the conciliation Committee.
See the digital Pact only as a first step: NRW-Minister of education, Yvonne Gebauer
There are still some votes to hang the ban on the so-called Cooperation, i.e. the prohibition of the Federal government in the education policies of the countries interfere. The good work is hampered, especially in the area of education?
Yes. We have spoken quite clearly, as a Liberal, and also in the framework of the coalition agreement to ensure that all the legal barriers will fall. We would have to come to a collaborative bid. Of course we want to get the cultural sovereignty of the countries, but education is a whole-of-government task and that is why we also need the money from the Federal government. I would hope that this is the beginning of a further debate. But by the amendment of the basic law, we are now in a position to actually come easier to money from the Federal government.
The Federal government has a lot of money that you might need. It needs to go further in this direction?
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Yes, just in terms of school, it can only be a start-up financing. One billion for North Rhine-Westphalia – that is a lot of money, but it must go on. Just in the area of digitization, we are talking about such things as Support and training for teachers. And, of course, the range of the digitization is very fast-paced because we will be with the devices of today, tomorrow may already be Museum-ready. We need to make a permanent financing through the Federal thoughts, and in the negotiations.
In Germany, some of the so far 16 state Ministers, to come in the area of formation of common Standards. The has survived? It is in need of major Reform?
We are already on a good path within the conference of education Ministers. In the area of the baccalaureate, we have created a BAC pool with the same Standards, we then tasks for individual subjects. The could certainly go to one or the other is faster and easier, thus more comparability between Flensburg and Munich is on the other side.
The Bundestag has already expressed its support for the amendment of the basic law
What would have to happen?
The conference of education Ministers would have to make more thoughts. This is, of course, difficult – the a to say, “we need to put Standards down”, the say “we need to move from Zero to one Hundred up”. This is for all the parties Involved is not an easy work. That’s why it takes a little bit longer. However, I am of the opinion, as regards the comparability in terms of Standards, because we need to be better.
This is now the start in the digital future for the schools, they are now really fit for the future?
The are now good prerequisites. We have here in North Rhine-Westphalia, a digital strategy will be developed. The course has been waiting for this a billion Euro a piece. But we are, as far as the comparison to other provinces, quite well. We currently have the digital workshop, a mobile classroom for Third and fourth graders, we are in the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia on the road. There’s a lot going on already. We also have schools in some of the Lighthouse. Nonetheless, the connection in which it is lacking in many schools. The teaching of out – and in-service training needs to be intensified. And many schools also need urgently a good equipment. Because we are very, very bad.
So you support the competition between the countries through federalism?
Yes, in such areas. Since others are more on the way, since you can Orient yourself to change it. You don’t need to always reinvent the wheel. The a are in this area, the other in that. So I’m also for a competition. But with regard to the Funding, there simply needs to be in the future, more of the Federal.